Here Comes A Shadow
by Elletz
Summary: As it turns out, H.I.V.E. Academy isn't half bad. The food still sucks, though.
1. a prolouge of some sorts

**Here's my contribution to the classic "Danny runs away to Jump to avoid his problems after his family and friends die in TUE" story mindset.**

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Tonight was the coldest night he'd had in a while. Shuddering, he pulled his sweatshirt strings tighter around his neck.

Just his luck was this March.

With each exhale came a blue mist pouring from his lips; Danny was starting to feel paranoid. There were no ghosts around this part of the city- that he knew- but the air felt off. Shaking his head, he continued down the alleyway, his long worn sneakers scrunching against the pavement.

There was a faint sound- the creaking of a door. He abruptly stopped walking, tuning out the crickets of grasshoppers and focusing on the single sound. What he heard from ahead in the dark alley was a conversation he was never meant to hear.

"The boy is still missing?" A scoff. "I expected better of you, professor." The deep voice startled him.

There was a figure standing in the light of the street lamp vigorously shaking their head at a doorway. "I'm certain my monitors will find him soon. After all, we know he resides in this very city."

Another, angrier scoff from the first voice. "All the progress you have made so far has been pitiful. I suppose I shall have to locate young Daniel myself. He has been missing for a whole month, now. You are excused for tonight, Virgil." The man's voice was directed at the person visible in the light near the end of his response.

The second, more nervous voice was slightly shaking. "Yes, Master." They walked quickly into the lone street.

In the shadows, our protagonist waited with baited breath for the door to shut behind the unseen man. He eventually deemed it safe to continue onto the sidewalk, but not after an extra fifteen minutes of silent torture.

Strolling from deserted street to deserted street, he contemplated what to do next.

 _Well, for one thing: I'm homeless!_ He attempted a grin, failed, and didn't stop walking. The next morning, Danny would be waking up to a park bench and a growling stomach.

Danny didn't like to steal. It wasn't exactly on his list of good deeds. But it was necessary if he wanted to continue his life as a nomad, going from city to city, desperate for something in his sorry life to change.

A false hope of bringing them back, he supposed.

He willed the tears not to fall.

Back to reality, he stared at the single apple in his hands. His fingers absentmindedly tapped on its ripe surface, not wanting to eat it simply on the principle of having stolen the fruit. The act of taking it had been almost too easy; the seller hadn't been watching, opting to play a game on her phone, and there weren't any customers directly watching the stand either. But the prospect of eating the fruit was... _wrong._ Solemnly, he took a bite.

Or he was about to, when he exhaled a familiar blue mist and immediately stiffened. _A ghost? Here?_ He quietly scuffled through the bustling crowd, choking down a few bites of apple before throwing the core into a dumpster, and entered an alleyway to wait for a luminescent specter.

He found that he was doing that a lot more often.

After a few minutes without screams, he concluded that it had been a false alarm. If he was being honest, it was almost disappointing. He walked further down the sidewalk, escaping the marketplace and slipping through the rusted gates of Jump City Park.

Unsurprisingly, there were people there. That wasn't ideal, but he would have to make due. It wasn't like he could force them off city property. Danny instead chose to climb the nearest tree. He thought back to previous night.

 _Those guys were either looking for me, or some other missing kid named Daniel._ Considering the circumstances, he guessed they meant him. He swung his legs over a high but sturdy branch and let his head relax against the rough bark of the tree.

 _Maybe they were with the Guys in White. Vlad finally decided to rat me out to the government, then._

A long, heavy sigh. He brushed some of his bangs back up into the mess that was his hair.

 _I'm not surprised. He still wants me as his son, that bastard._

He looked onto a group of small children chasing each other, not straying far from what was the most worn-down pavilion in the park. A boy, no younger than five, was laughing at the stray mud on his clothes. The girl who had pushed him into the mud puddle watched him, looking thoughtful and tugging at her pigtails. Grinning, she innocently stuck out her hand and pulled him up off the ground.

What Danny would give to be in their carefree shoes.

There is a saying that goes something like: nothing good can last forever. He didn't quite remember the exact words, but he did know the peaceful park scene wouldn't last much longer.

What he did not anticipate was the gun.

Who was stupid enough to try and shoot up a city park, anyway? Police officers practically flock there as soon as they go on break, drinking their coffee and eating their donuts. Stereotypical, but accurate to the afternoon.

"Hold up your arms! Hand over your valuables!"

Oh yeah. There was a robber.

Despite this, Danny couldn't help a snark reply. "How are we supposed to hand over our valuables when we have our arms up?"

The masked vigilante- who held the stance of a resentful teenager- whipped their head up to the tree Danny was sitting in, but couldn't seem to find him. They growled up at nothing. Fortunately for the civilians fearfully watching the exchange, the criminal was distracted long enough for multiple police officers to surround them with pointed guns and tasers.

Camouflaged by various leaves and actual invisibility, Danny smirked.

The unsuccessful criminal was led into the back of a flashing police car. Weakly, they punched the reinforced glass windows of the vehicle. Once they were secured, young smiling children ran up to hug the legs of middle-aged officers as a thank you. Even some of the adults were crying at how frightened they had been.

The halfa allowed a tiny smile to creep into his expression. He had played a role in saving innocent lives (not that he thought the nervous teenager under the mask would have actually fired their gun). The euphoric feeling of being a hero washed over him, and he winced.

He forgot just how much he missed it.

While Danny peered down at the scene below him, he failed to notice the shadow of a person behind him. Likewise, he also failed to see who it was who stuck a needle of anesthesia in his arm before his world went dark.

Just a normal Thursday.


	2. Trapped in the HIVE

**I had originally wanted to make the chapters like,,, 10 pages long**

 **but then I kinda ignored the next chapter for the longest time at 9 pages? so I'm dividing up what I've written so none of you have to suffer from lack of an update**

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When Danny woke up, he realized two things: the person who had taken him was probably one of the mysterious voices from the alleyway, and that he was tied to a chair with rope that somehow prevented use of his powers. He was facing a dull grey wall in the corner of a room so he couldn't see the people conversing behind him. Gulping, he knew that he was at the mercy of whoever was talking.

Once he started struggling, the noises stopped abruptly, and a tall figure immediately came into view. Danny glared up at him, his mouth coming up into a snarl.

"Who are you? And where are we?"

The man smiled the devious expression of a villain. It reminded him all too much of Vlad (he even had grey hair, I mean _come on_ ) and Danny decided at once that he disliked his captor. He growled back at him.

"Oh, don't be like that. You'll get your answers soon enough."

"What?" He struggled harder against the ropes. "Let me go!"

The man stilled, glancing over his shoulder at a smaller, more nervous man who paled in comparison to himself. Shakily, the second man spoke.

"We want to know why you are wanted from Child Protection Services. Explain now, or we might hand you over to government authorities." Danny blinked.

"That's it?" He coughed. "I mean, I'm not telling complete strangers, but why do you want to know?"

The taller man raised a heavy brow. "If you are not willing to participate, we will be forced to take extreme measures."

Danny sighed, willing himself to stay sane. _Who_ were _these guys?_ He breathed out his frustration, pointedly glaring at a crack in the wall plaster. "Why _wouldn't_ the government want me? My friends and family died in an explosion and _I_ was the only survivor." He made sure his last words were absolutely overflowing with venom. " _Lucky me."_

He should've expected the intrigued expressions of the two men. "And why do you so adamantly refuse to appear in court?"

"I…" He looked down, ashamed. Everything was his fault, and he knew it. What could he tell them? How could he possibly explain? "I'm a witness to a murder that shouldn't have ever been possible."

"Of course it shouldn't have happened, boy." Danny snapped his eyes up to the taller man, who was watching him with a thoughtful expression and stroking the strangled hair of his goatee. "You have nowhere to go, I presume?"

He winced. "No, uh, I've been living on the streets for the past month."

"Well then." The man twirled a slim finger through his beard once more. "Why not attend the H.I.V.E. Academy?"

"...the _What_ Academy?"

The second man, who he now assumed was an assistant, jumped. "I'll get the papers!"

"Not so fast, Virgil," the older man smirked, turning back to the teenager. "The HIVE Academy. You may call me Headmaster Blood." He paused. "That is, if you are worthy of a scholarship."

"Scholarship? But you barely know me!" Danny protested, but it was waved off with a swipe of Mr. Blood's hands.

"I know enough, dear boy, and you will make a fine example of a student." He glanced over his shoulder at his assistant. "Virgil, would you please call down Mammoth?"

The headmaster stooped down to direct eye level with Danny. "Here at the HIVE Academy, we pride ourselves on our secrets." His eyes flicked quickly over the unruly black hair that hadn't been washed in nearly a week. "Your hair is as dark as a shadow. That, I suppose, shall be your alias."

He blinked. "An alias? Why so many secrets?"

"It is safer to keep secrets, my boy. Think of all the things you have kept from others. How many people would you anger by revealing even a small part of a word?"

Danny averted his eyes. What would his parents have said if he had told them about his ghostly half in normal circumstances? Before any of this happened, he would often wonder about that.

Now?

He didn't want to know.

"Do with Shadow however you please, Mammoth."

There was sudden slam of a metal door. When he looked up, he saw the men had left him alone in the room. He struggled against the ropes they had carelessly left him tied to. From behind his chair, he heard heavy footfalls.

"What-"

Danny couldn't have prepared for the impact. He was thrown by strong arms against the wall, crashing into what he now felt was disguised metal. _Well, he was talking about secrets._ Pain exploded behind his eyes, and he was suddenly slamming into a row of lockers by Dash.

"Man," the larger boy chuckled, "I love when Brother Blood brings in new recruits."

Unable to do anything other than struggle against the barely loosened ropes, Mammoth slammed his chair against the wall again. _Think, Danny! How can I get out of these ropes?_

He finally noticed the chair didn't cancel his powers. With a soft curse to his obliviousness, he phased the chair away. Now, the rope was loose enough to slip out of.

The third time Mammoth came charging, he was ready. He evaded the student by simply side-stepping just as the larger boy was about to hit him. Mammoth tried to avoid slamming into the wall.

Growling, the beast lunged at the halfa, knocking the air out of Danny's lungs. _I don't remember ordering any sass, big guy._ He allowed his ghost half to momentarily replace his respiratory system so he wouldn't die from lack of air from the weight on top of him.

Doing his best to ignore the punches to his shoulders, he positioned his legs underneath the brute's torso and kicked him off. Mammoth, not expecting the sudden strength under him, was thrown off and onto his back like a ragdoll. Danny quickly stood up and grasped the burly forearm of the beast.

"Hey, what are you-" The shorter boy seemed to lift him up with ease, slamming his face down into the floor with a sling of his arm. Mammoth rolled over onto his back, blinking up at the stranger.

"Holy _shit,_ what _are_ you?" Shadow didn't respond, so he just stared up at the ceiling. His entire body was sore, somehow. He clutched his forehead with one arm, the other lying pathetically at his side.

He heard a small, barely-audible noise from the other teen. He glanced over just as Shadow crawled onto the floor next to him, sitting with his arms hugging his legs to his chest. The boy slowly inhaled through his nose. "You'll need to put that on ice for at least the next few hours. Trust me, it'll be a whole lot easier tomorrow if you do."

"How?" That got his attention, and his breathing paused. "How did you defeat me?"

"I can't tell you."

Mammoth sighed. "Understandable." He slowly got up into a sitting position, still clutching his head.

A few tired seconds passed before he placed a hand on one knee and heaved himself up. He outstretched a hand to the other teen. Shadow raised a brow before hesitantly taking it.

"Are… you okay?" Mammoth simply waved his words away, grinning.

"Don't worry, I've had worse."

Shadow still didn't look very convinced. "I-" The door creaked opened.

"Is Shadow a worthy opponent?" Mammoth sighed at being interrupted, but nodded back at Brother Blood and Professor Virgil.

"...Definitely."

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 **I can't write fight scenes lmao sorry**


	3. an introduction

**For that reviewer named Nick: I don't intend on this being an "evil danny" story. If that's what you perceive it as, then you're free to do so, but I have a story line already made for this that doesn't follow your assumption.**

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 **I don't always write Gray Ghost, but when I do, it's angst.**

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It took a surprising long time to create and sort through fake documents concerning his identity. Then again, Danny had never done this before.

Being honest, he thought it was a genius move to hide himself from the government. If they found him, they would probably place him in the care of Vlad, who was unfortunately his legal godfather. Brother Blood's reasoning was that the HIVE needed to stay a private boarding school, since it was funded by an outside unrelated source. The government would mess up their school system, just like it messed up the economy on a daily basis.

Well, he wasn't going to argue against that logic. _Not that I would want to, anyway._

At the HIVE Academy, every student was given a entirely new title to be identified by. Danny thought it was just an extra precaution, but Brother Blood disagreed entirely. The chance of students threatening the real identity of another student was too risky.

Headmaster Blood had also told him as to why his new alias was Shadow. In addition to it being a reference to his raven hair, it was also referring to how he had previously lurked in the shadows of the Jump City. Danny didn't argue; the name Shadow sounded decently cool.

Now, the tall man was leading him through a series of hallways that housed students. It was when they entered the fifth corridor that the older spoke.

"This is where you shall be boarding for your time at the HIVE Academy. Senior class students are allowed to buy off-campus apartments, but it is not mandatory." He took out a neatly folded paper from the inside of his suit pocket. "This is your course schedule; do not lose it. I have picked a number of classes that I suspect will suit you fine."

Danny blinked, taking the paper and shoving it in the right pocket of his jacket. The halfa cautiously put up the hood. "What kind of classes?"

"Here at the HIVE Academy, we pride ourselves on the strengths of each individual student. By challenging Mammoth, who has been awarded by his brute strength in the past, you are capable of far more than you may know. The classes provided will be more than adequate to testing your ability."

"That… doesn't answer my question."

The headmaster slyly smirked. "Smart boy."

After a few moments, they stopped in front of door number 86, and Brother Blood politely knocked twice on the center of the grey door. There was some shuffling from the inside, and it slid open to reveal a red and black figure no taller than Danny.

"You were made aware of a new roommate, correct?" The figure nodded, and he continued. "Red Huntress, please show Shadow around the building. He will be starting his classes this upcoming Monday."

"Of course, Master Blood." However cheerful she sounded, Danny knew it was just a facade; her sigh afterwards was incredibly resigned.

Danny tried to see who the voice belonged to, but the headmaster was blocking the entire doorway with his interesting fashion choice. He silently wondered how the man was respected at all.

Mr. Blood saw his curiosity and swiftly backed away from the door. Danny gulped audibly. "I'll leave you two to get… acquainted... with each other."

The man strolled down the rest of the hallway at a numbingly slow pace. But as soon as he was out of sight, the girl shoved Danny inside the room, grabbed him by the collar, and held him against the wall.

"Look, I don't know who you think you are, but if you even _dare_ set one foot-" She pulled down his hood and stared into his wide blue eyes and shocked expression. She dropped her arms, face slack, and he slid down to the ground.

He nervously laughed, tugging at the frayed strands of his hoodie. "So this is where you moved two months ago, huh?" Valerie looked down at him, unbelieving.

"I never thought I'd ever see you in a place like this." She breathed out the words so softly that Danny almost didn't hear them. She looked… haunted. He slowly stood up to embrace her. She hugged him, her head leaning into his shoulder, and he was reminded of when they were dating. "Why are you, _of all people,_ in Jump? What the hell happened in Amity Park while I was gone?" He held her tighter.

Danny knew he was tearing up. He could feel the waterworks he had built up within the past month threatening to overflow. Valerie shifted to face him, her eyes concerned and sympathetic. "Danny… what happened?"

It was like a breaking point when she uttered those words. He had convinced himself that he was alone in his struggles, in his grief, but he wasn't. Someone cared for him. She was _worried_ about him. And there were tears running down his cheeks.

"...Danny?"

He sniffled, shaking in her grasp. "Sorry, it's just..." He took a deep breath, not trusting himself to say anything for a few moments. Valerie's hands dug into his shoulders, worry overtaking her movements.

"The... Nasty Burger exploded." She stared at him so intensely that he willed himself to continue. "Sam… Tucker… Jazz… my parents…" Her hand came up to her mouth wordlessly. "Heh, even Mr. Lancer." He pitifully laughed, leaning his head on her shoulder.

Valerie inhaled deeply before hugging him so tightly that he could feel his lungs collapsing. Danny couldn't see her expression, but he knew how livid she was through her grip. Breathlessly, she asked the question he had been avoiding ever since the incident. "It wasn't an accident, was it?" He winced.

Hesitantly, he began. "They say it was Phantom, but-" She growled lowly, cutting him off and clutching his upper arms with a strength greater than Mammoth.

"Of course it was."

Somehow, he couldn't anticipate just how much the words tore into him. While stomping to her side of the room, Valerie failed to notice his clouded expression.

He already knew she hated Phantom.

The huntress sharply opened the single drawer to her side table and pulled out a map of the school, thrusting it into Danny's loose hands. He traced the longest crinkle of the paper absentmindedly.

"C'mon, let's go see the rest of the building. You'll get lost otherwise." He was practically shoved out of the room, and she slammed the door behind them without a care if it alarmed the other residents.

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 **sorry haha**


End file.
